Chapter 10: Taking The Hit

Naruto yawned and approached the training area. He had woken up early and couldn't get back to sleep so he simply decided to get up and get dressed. As he approached the training area he noticed that someone was there already. Sayuri was lying in the middle of the training area and appeared to not be moving.

Naruto quickened his pace. When he finally got to Sayuri he dropped down beside her and put his ear to her mouth to check that she was still breathing.

"Good morning Naruto,"

Naruto yelled and jumped back in surprise, "I thought you were sleeping," he said.

Sayuri sat up, "I was until you walked into the training area," she said with a smile.

Naruto noticed that her hand was not yet bandaged and there was still an open wound. He remembered the ointment that Hinata had given him and pulled that out of his pouch.

"This is an awesome ointment that heals wounds," Naruto said as he took Sayuri's hand in his own. He rubbed some of the ointment across her palm and the wound healed perfectly right away. He let go of her hand and put the ointment away.

"Thank-you," she said.

"Hey Sayuri?"

"Yes Naruto,"

"How did you get Sharingon?"

"Remember how I told you that I was made?" she said, Naruto nodded, "Well when they made me they gave me certain DNA that gave me two major abilities from two of the clans in Kohona. One of them was Sharingon from the Uchiha clan," she explained.

"What's the other?"

"I'm sure you will find out soon enough," she said.

"Hey Sayuri, can I ask another question?"

"Well you can ask but I can't guarantee an answer," she said with a smile.

"How did you make your shurikins some back to you yesterday? That was SO cool!"

"That's something that I can answer. I charged them with chakra and while he blocked my kick I altered the course of they're flight,"

"Can you teach me how to do it?"

Sayuri smiled, "Of course I can, I'll even be your target,"

Naruto gave her a fearful look.

"Don't worry," she said, "I'll be expecting them and I can take care of myself. I think I proved that yesterday," she said with another smile.

"ALL RIGHT!" Naruto yelled, jumping to his feet, "LET"S DO THIS!"

Sakura approached the training area and saw that there were two people already there before her. A little surprised she stopped to see what they were doing. It was Naruto and Sayuri. They appeared to just be standing there. Then Naruto reached for his pouch and pulled out three shurikens. They stood there just for another moment and Sakura wondered that they were doing.

Suddenly Naruto threw the shurikns at Sayuri and charged at her. All three shurikens had missed. Naruto threw a punch but Sayuri had blocked it and pushed him backwards.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Sakura yelled out in surprise.

Both Naruto and Sayuri looked over at Sakura in surprise. They had been so busy with this technique that they had not realized she had walked in.

"IT'S OK SAKURA-CHAN. WE'RE TRAINING" Naruto called back.

Just then Sayuri moved out of the way and Naruto looked over at the distraction. The three shurikens he had thrown were headed straight for him and he froze in surprise. Sayuri dove in front of Naruto and the shurikens hit her on her side. Naruto dropped down next to her and Sakura ran over towards them.

"Are you OK?" Sakura asked as she arrived beside them.

Sayuri pulled out the last shuriken in her arm.

"I'll live," she said with a smile, "Good job Naruto. But shall we take a break now and wait for Sasuke and Kakashi?"

Naruto nodded.

"Some of that ointment would be good now too if you don't mind,"

"What happened to you?" Sasuke asked as her approached. He had noticed the tears in Sayuri's clothing.

"Just a little accident while training," she said with smile.

It was so much more than that to her though. She had actually taken a hit for another person. She had protected someone even though she was not forced to protect them. She felt happy, but at the same time she was not sure that that was the feeling she should be having. The rest of the group did not seem to understand the importance or significance of this movement. All that Sayuri knew was that she had finally did something for another person. That was all that mattered.

"Little accident while training? With whom were you training?" Sasuke asked.

"Naruto," Sayuri said with a smile.

"And he actually hit you?" Sasuke asked in disbelief.

"WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I COULDN'T?" Naruto yelled.

"Actually I had distracted them and Sayuri had jumped in front of Naruto to save him from the shurikens heading for his head," Sakura said with a smirk, "Where did they come from anyways?" she asked.

"I was teaching Naruto the technique I used yesterday, when the shurikens came back to me," Sayuri explained.

"And Naruto actually accomplished that?" Sakura asked.

"WHY YOU…" Naruto yelled but fell silent when Sayuri motioned for him to quiet down.

"Yes quite well actually," she replied.

"Show me," Sasuke said.

"NO I WANT IT TO BE MY SPECIAL MOVE," Naruto yelled again.

"But it's already Sayuri's," Sakura stated.

Naruto looked ready to yell but couldn't seem to think of anything to say so he just turned his back on them and they heard him mumble to himself.

"How shall I show you Sasuke?"

Sasuke gave her a quizzical look.

"Would you like to copy it with your sharingon while I teach Sakura, assuming that she wants to learn it as well," Sakura nodded, "or would you like me to teach it to you directly?"

Sasuke was silent for a moment until he decided, "I'll copy it," he said.

"Good choice," she said as she stood and took Sakura over to where she and Naruto had been practicing it.

Kakashi watched from a near-by tree as Sayuri taught Sakura the move and Sasuke watched with his sharingon to copy it.

This is good he thought to himself she is finally using teamwork.

It was important for the group to know and learn the various skills of its other members. It was a way of understanding and growing. Kakashi thought that having Sayuri in the group was a good idea. She must know many different techniques from traveling and working with so many different senseis.

It was also good for Sayuri. She was learning the value of friendship. She would in time, come to learn the importance of teamwork as well. Kakashi was sure of it.

What a powerful group he thought an Uchiha, a hybrid ninja with unlimited skill, a top grade ninja, and of course Naruto.

Kakashi smiled. This group will do well.